Clutch



CLUTCH.

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A. T. STURT ET AL Filed Abril 24. 1922 Patented Jan. 8, 19124.

i UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

ALFRED T. STURT, OF FLINT, `IDLICICHIGVAN', AND GEORGE H. ROBINSON, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO DUR/ANT MOTORS INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

CLUTCH.

Application iiled April 24, 1922. Serial No. 556,248.

and to an improved clutch plate which permits a gradual engagement between the driving member and a driven member without the use of numerous and costly parts. .More

particularly, the invention relates to a clutch plate suitable for use in clutch assemblies of the type illustrated in our copending application Serial No. 492,949, filed August 17t 1921.

In this type of clutch the opposite faces of a lclutch plate are gripped by pressure lates, or surfaces whlch rotate `with the rive shaft, a gradual engagement being obtained by providing the peripheral portion of the clutch plate with a numlber of kerfs and slightly inclining its faces to the grippin or pressure sur aces. As the ressure sur aces contact with the clutch p ate the edges of the plate are first engaged with a slight or moderate pressure and with increasmgly greater pressure as the edges of the plate are compressed and flexed to provide a greater contact surface and an increasedl surface pressure.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improv clutch plate suitable for clutch assemblies of the above type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clutch plate and mats so arranged that the mats yieldingly engage the pressure rings throughout the surface of the mats in al1 positions of contact.

Another object-of the invention is to provide .a clutch plate with peripheral kerfs and friction pads vso arranged near saidperipherybetween said kerfs as to permit the sectors between said kerfs to be displaced in opposite directions under increasmg pressure as said clutch plate is gripped between driving pressure surfaces.

still further object of the invention is The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in, which:

Fig. 1 is lan end view of a clutch plate embodying a preferred form of the invention and a driven or transmissionshaft on which the plate is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the clutch plate and transmission shaft taken on line 2-2 of Fi l.

Fig. 3 1s a detail sectional view of a portion of the clutch plate shown in Figs.

1 and 2 and pressure surfaces adapted to co-operate therewith.

Fig. 4 is a, plan view of a friction pad formmg a part of the clutch plate shown in Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a' kerf in the clutch plate shown 4in Fig. 1.

In the present invention a clutch plate is provided with a flat peripheral portion which isdivided by short kerfs into a number of segments or sectors which have considerable stiffness 'but may be slightly flexed from their normally iat or plane position by the application of pressure on th' sides of the sectors. A friction pad is mounted on the face of each sector, the pads being alternately mounted on opposite sidesy or faces of the plate so that, as the rotating clutch driving plates press against the sides of the pads on throwlng in the clutch, the adjacent sectors are distorted or iiexed in opposite directions, the pressure increasing as the plates are brought closer to ther. f

The central portion of the clutch p ate is4 connected to a driven or transmission shaft and is of a dished or conoid sha e to' give the plate the desired strength an stiffness.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, motion isA transmitted'v from a driving shaft or motor to a clutchv plate 10 by two oppositely disposed pressure.

plates 12 and 14, Fig. 43, which rotate with the driving shaft and ma be pressed toward with, and grip, a dat peripheral/portion 16 of the clutch plate positioned between these plates at a right angle to the axis of rotation. rllhe peripheral portion 16 of the disc 10 is divided into a number of segments or sectors 18 by means of a number of radial kerfs 20 which extend from the circumference of the disc to a dished or conoid central portion 22 of the plate on which a driven or transmission shaft 2t having a spiral oil groove is mounted. rl`he sectors 18 are normally in a single p-lane and are of suiiicient stidness to resist distortion or exing from this position but have sufiicient resiliency to permit their being slightly exed by the exertion of sufficient side presi sure.

A number of friction pads 26 are mounted on the faces of the sectors 18 in positionto contact with the inner faces of the pressure plates as the plates are brought close to the faces of the clutch disc. The friction pads are mounted alternately on opposite sides ofadjacent sectors so that as the pressure plates are advanced sufficiently to exert pressure on the pads they tend to flex adjacent sectors in opposite directions. As the pressure plates first come into contact with the friction pads they do not distort or flex the sectors to any considerable extent and but a very slight friction between the pads and the ressure surfaces is provided which perrmts a certain amount of slip between the pads and the plates to take place and provides only a very gradual driving of the disc. As the pressure plates are brought closer together the sectors are distorted or dexed somewhat more with the exertion of greater friction between the friction pads and the pressure surfaces until the disc and the driving pressure surfaces are substantially in locked position androtate at substantially the same speed. rlhrough this arrangement a very gradual picking up of speed by the transmission shaft is insured with a minimum of operating parts. 'llhe arrangement of pressure plates and means for advancing them shown in our co-pending application Serial No. 492,949 may be used or any other suitable means may be used for this purpose.

The friction pads are preferably given the shape of segments of an annular ring as illustrated in Fig. d and have sufficient length to extend over the width of the sectors 18 and beyond to a distance equal to that of the kerfs 20. The pads may be attached to the sectors by means of rivets 28 and the inner faces adjacent the disc are tapered or bevelled slightly from the rivets toward the ends as indicated at 30 and 32 in Fig. 3, this tapered form being found advantageous in operation.

The inner corners of the kerfs 20 are chamfered or rounded as shown in Fig. 5

intenta l to lessen the tendency of the kerfs to start a break or to tear as the sectors are distorted or flexed. rllhe inner or central portion of the disc is latened at 3d and attached to the driven or transmission shaft by means of bolts 36 or other fastening means.

'lhe above invention provides a clutch device in which the friction pads are subjected to uniform wear throughout their contact surfaces and in which a gradual take up is insured with a minim of parts. An extremely compact and simple clutch plate is also provided in which doating friction rings and other parts which might get out of order are avoided.

Havin described the invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the kind described which comprises a plate having a flat peripheral portion? said portion being divided into a number of sectors by kerfs extending inwardly from the circumference and friction pads arranged alternately on opposite Sides ef, said sectors.

2. A device of the kind described which v comprises a plate having a dat' peripheral portion, said portion being divided lnto a number of sectors by radial kerfs extending inwardly from the circumference and friction pads extending across said sectors arranged alternately on opposite sides of said late.

3. device of the kind described which circumference, friction pads mounted alter#- nately on opposite faces of said sectors and driving pressure plates on opposite sides of said plate adapted to be advanced toward each other to grip and flex said sectors as said plates press against said friction pads.

5; A device of the kind described which comprises a circular plate having a dat peripheral portion divided into sectors by radial kerfs extending inwardl from the circumference and friction pa s mounted alternately on opposite faces of said sectors, said friction pads having the faces adjacent said disc bevelled 'toward their ends.

6. A device of the kind described which comprises a circular plate having a dat peripheral portion divided into short, stiff, resilient sectors by kerfs extending inwardl from the circference and friction p lil@ mounted alternately on opposite faces of said disc sectors, said pads being in the shape of segments of an annular ring and having their inner faces adjacent said disc 5 bevelled toward their radial ends.

7. A friction pad for devices of the kind described which comprises a segment of an annular strip of suitable friction material one face of which is tapered or bevelled toward its radial ends.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands at Long Island City, county of Queens, New York this 21st day of April, 1922.- l

ALFRED T. .sTURr GEORGE H. ROBINSON.` 

